TSMC is capable of building chips for Apple using its advanced 20 nanometer manufacturing process, which would create chips that are 30 percent faster and 25 percent more efficient than the current 28nm chips found in the iPhone 5.

Another Samsung official commented on the possible shift to TSMC chips, telling The Korea Times, "Samsung has already acknowledged that Apple has an appetite to carry out its own central processing unit (CPU) design."

Losing Apple as a client would surely mean a big loss for Samsung, but the firm reportedly isn't worried as the unnamed Samsung official went on to cite increased custom CPU orders coming in from Qualcomm, Nvidia and Texas Instruments.

In the meantime, Apple can't afford to completely cut Samsung out yet, forcing the two rivals to continue a deteriorating partnership.

However, when Apple is finally ready to announce its next-generation A7 processor (or whatever it will be called), don't expect to see Samsung's name anywhere near it.